Related Stories

Probably, if you're not already.Let's face it, most people are fascinated--if not obsessed-- with the dream. The books "The Millionaire Next Door," and the sequel, "The Millionaire Mind," were best sellers. The game show is still running strong.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to be wealthy. Don't let money guilt get to you. To paraphrase a couple of quotes,

"Whoever said money isn't that important either likely doesn't have much of it and probably won't ever, or already has way more than they'll ever need."

OK, back to getting rich. How? Hmm, you probably won't win millions on a game show.

There's the lottery. Riiiiight.

Professional sports or stardom in the entertainment field? You'd probably already be doing it.

How about taking advantage of some of those spam email get-rich offers likely sitting in your inbox right now? Forget it.

I saw an infomercial this morning about how you can get rich by selling stuff on the Internet. They even provide you the stuff. Yeah, well THEY are the ones getting rich. Off of the people who send them money.

So what's that leave?

Let's face reality: The same ways most wealthy people have legitimately made their money: Earning and accumulating larger amounts of money on an annual basis than hourly or purely salaried workers, and then reinvesting it wisely, either in their own operation, or other solid equity investments. For purposes of this Tip, I'll leave out full-time real estate investing (requires money up front), inheritances, and being CEO of a large company. That leaves business ownership.

Oh, AND being great at sales. That's probably you.That's right. One of the best ways for regular people to become millionaires is to excel at sales. When in sales, for the most part, you ARE running your own business. And without the upfront capital investment and risk. I wonder why more people aren't doing it. Actually, no I don't: laziness, lack of ambition, patience, and knowledge of what to do. Most of these are easy to correct, though.

Here are some tips to get you thinking, excited, and GOING toward your millions!

DON'T ASSUME YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHINGIf you must doubt anything, doubt your limitations. Instead of saying, "I'm not sure I could accumulate a million dollars," instead, ask yourself the assumptive question, "What will I need to do to accumulate a million dollars in cash/securities/net worth by (pick a date)?" Then start answering the question. Brainstorm. Write down your answers. You might be surprised how realistic and tangible the answers become when you take away the false limitations of your own thinking.

GO AFTER BIGGER SALESSomeone is selling to the bigger accounts. Why shouldn't it be you?

SELL MORE TO EXISTING ACCOUNTSHow many of your accounts buy the exact same things you sell, from someone else? Why couldn't you get a bigger piece of the pie? Again, our biggest limitation is normally our own small thinking and effort.

ASK LARGER, ALL OF THE TIMEIt takes the same number of words to ask for a $1000 sale as it does a $500 deal from the same customer. As long as they could handle the larger sale, why not ask larger? Ok, say they go for just $750 instead of $1000. According to my math, you're now $250 better than you would have been with the $500 request. Multiply that over the course of a couple of years. Nice.

INVEST IN YOURSELFHow much did you spend last year on fast food, liquor, video rentals, or fiction novels? Exactly how much will any of that contribute towards you being a millionaire? And how much did you invest in your own sales self improvement last year? I consistently see sales reps beating their heads against the wall experiencing needless rejection. It's not that difficult, and a lot more fun to say and do things that get success on the phone. For less than what you probably blow on Starbucks, beers, or burgers each month, I will give you food for your mind that can help make you rich. Go to http://www.TelesalesSuccess.com

SET PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL FINANCIAL OBJECTIVESLook around you. Any achievement or work-in-progress in any aspect of life is the result of a goal, an end objective by someone with specific plans to reach that objective. Sure, everyone WISHES they had more money; few people have a specific goal with detailed plans for doing so. Personally, be sure to pay yourself first, regardless of how much it hurts. Set aside a percentage of everything you earn and sock it away. No excuses, no cheating. The more you sell, the more you earn, the more you invest, the more quickly it snowballs.BE PATIENTHate to tell you, but if as of this moment, you're not on target to be a millionaire next month, you're not going to be one next month regardless of what you do. And one thing is for certain: if you do nothing today to work towards that objective, you're further away from it, because the clock is ticking.

The alternative is to do something.Take action, any action, moving you toward that goal. Then stick to it. Next week and next year get here sooner than you realize. Through the magic of compounding interest, reinvesting dividends, and adding to your budding fortune, your millions will come. But it's a long-term process, not a Publisher's Clearinghouse drawing where your name is drawn as the winner. (The good news is that your second million comes even more quickly than the first.)

So, to quote a game show, who wants to be a millionaire? Final answer? I see a lot of hands. Here's the important question. Who wants to DO what it takes to become one? If that's you, then DO something about it.

About Art Sobczak

Art Sobczak, President of Business By Phone Inc., specializes in one area only: working with business-to-business salespeople--both inside and outside--designing and delivering content-rich programs that participants begin showing results from the very next time they get on the phone. Audiences love… more